Messi Concludes India Tour on Calm Note After Chaotic Scenes in Kolkata

Football icon Lionel Messi has brought his three day visit to India to a smooth close in Delhi, following a turbulent and widely criticised start to the tour in Kolkata that briefly threatened to overshadow his long awaited return to the country.

On Monday, thousands of fans packed into a stadium in India’s capital hoping for a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami star. Despite heavy pollution and delays caused by dense fog in northern India, the atmosphere in Delhi was largely celebratory. Messi appeared on the pitch alongside teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, kicking balls into the crowd, exchanging passes with children, and signing autographs as fans chanted his name.

Messi’s flight from Mumbai to Delhi was delayed, forcing organisers to shorten parts of his schedule. Even so, the Delhi appearance marked a stark contrast to events in Kolkata, where the tour began amid chaos and disappointment.

The problems surfaced on Saturday at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, where thousands of fans had paid up to 12,000 rupees for tickets. Football enjoys immense popularity in West Bengal, and anticipation was intense. However, many fans were left angry after Messi was barely visible during his brief walk around the stadium. Surrounded by officials and celebrities, he was quickly escorted away as the crowd grew restless.

Frustration soon boiled over, with sections of the stadium vandalised as seats were torn up and objects thrown toward the pitch. The unrest quickly made international headlines and cast a shadow over what was billed as Messi’s first India visit since 2011 and a celebration of the game’s greatest modern star.

An editorial in The Telegraph newspaper described the scenes as the result of poor planning, weak coordination, and serious security failures. The paper said fans who had waited years for the moment vented their anger after being denied even a clear glimpse of Messi.

Police later arrested the event organiser in Kolkata, Satadru Dutta, who has been remanded to 14 days in custody as investigations continue.

Despite the rocky start, the remainder of Messi’s tour passed without incident. Appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai were well managed, with fans sharing emotional reactions online and in interviews. Messi also met a range of prominent figures, including Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata before the stadium unrest, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

Earlier reports suggested Messi might meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the meeting did not take place as Modi departed on a scheduled overseas trip on Monday.

Throughout the tour, Messi was seen waving to fans, interacting with children on football pitches, and attending promotional events across Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. One of the highlights was the virtual unveiling of a massive 70 foot statue of himself in Kolkata, assembled by dozens of workers over nearly a month.

Messi’s popularity in India runs deep, shaped by years of televised European football, his record breaking career at Barcelona, and the emotional bond many Indians share with the sport. For countless fans, football represents more than entertainment, and Messi has long symbolised its beauty and magic.

While the chaos in Kolkata exposed serious flaws in event management, the calm conclusion of the tour offered relief to organisers and fans alike. As Messi departed India, the lasting image was not just of disorder, but of stadiums filled with awe, children sharing moments with a global icon, and a country once again reminded why Lionel Messi remains one of the most beloved figures in world sport.